Treatment expectations

Why Has My Tattoo Stopped Fading?

The short answer

Usually it hasn’t. The easy ink went first, and what is left is denser, deeper or a colour the laser reaches less well, so each session shows less change. Sometimes the fix is a longer gap between sessions. Occasionally a colour has gone as far as this type of laser can take it, and I’ll tell you if so.

Written by Daniel Mason, Level 4 Laser Technician at The Blackbird Wing

Published · Last reviewed · 3 min read

A faint, faded tattoo on the inside of an upper arm

The first two or three sessions often show a big change. Then the photos from one visit to the next start to look the same, and people worry the laser has stopped working. Usually it hasn’t.

Why the early sessions look dramatic

What I check when a tattoo plateaus

The largest study of what slows removal points to four things I check at this stage.[3]

  • The gap between sessions. Sessions eight weeks apart or less were linked to a poorer response. If we have been going every six weeks, leaving it longer can help, and it costs you nothing.
  • The colours left. Colours other than black and red were linked to a poorer response. Green, light blue and yellow may have gone as far as this type of laser can take them.
  • The age of the tattoo. Tattoos older than three years were linked to a poorer response, which is the opposite of what most people expect.
  • Whether you smoke. Smokers’ tattoos cleared less often. That one has its own guide.

References

  1. 1.Baranska A, Shawket A, Jouve M, et al.. Unveiling skin macrophage dynamics explains both tattoo persistence and strenuous removal. Journal of Experimental Medicine. 2018;215(4):1115–1133. doi:10.1084/jem.20171608A laboratory study in mice of how immune cells in the skin hold on to tattoo ink.
  2. 2.Menozzi-Smarrito C, Pineau N. A New Predictive Model for Tattoo Removal: Leveraging Patient and Tattoo Characteristics. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2025;24(7):e70186. doi:10.1111/jocd.70186One clinic following 116 people with black tattoos through complete removal.
  3. 3.Bencini PL, Cazzaniga S, Tourlaki A, Galimberti MG, Naldi L. Removal of Tattoos by Q-Switched Laser: Variables Influencing Outcome and Sequelae in a Large Cohort of Treated Patients. Archives of Dermatology. 2012;148(12):1364–1369. doi:10.1001/archdermatol.2012.2946One clinic’s records of 352 people treated with the same type of laser I use, over fifteen years.
Daniel Mason

Daniel Mason

Level 4 Laser Technician · The Blackbird Wing

Daniel carries out every laser tattoo removal treatment at The Blackbird Wing in Lymington, on the edge of the New Forest.

This guide is general information to help you know what to expect. It is not medical advice, and it is no substitute for a consultation and patch test, where we look at your skin and your tattoo.

Keep reading

A full-colour sleeve tattoo in blues, greens and pinks

Tattoo colours

Can Lasers Remove Green, Blue or Yellow Tattoo Ink?

A laser only sees the colours that absorb its light. I go through which ones mine removes well, which it doesn’t, and what the research says about green and blue.

Reviewed · 3 min readRead →

A lit cigarette in an ashtray, smoke rising

Treatment expectations

Does Smoking Affect Laser Tattoo Removal?

Smoking is the one lifestyle habit anyone has measured in tattoo removal, and smokers were less likely to have their tattoo fully gone. If you smoke and I’m treating you, this is what it means.

Reviewed · 3 min readRead →